YEMBO TAIP. 203 



strength. The houses are low,, built of a coarse 

 white calcareous stone full of fossils, and have a 

 mean and wretched appearance. The inhabitants 

 are principally Arabs, no foreigners having settled 

 here except two or three Indian shopkeepers, or a 

 few Turks who occasionally take up a temporary 

 residence. Yembo possesses about forty or fifty 

 ships, which engage in all the branches of the Red 

 Sea trade ; but they are daring smugglers, often 

 eluding the heavy duties of the government by send- 

 ing a considerable part of their cargoes ashore by 

 stealth. The transport to Medina is chiefly in pro- 

 visions, and occupies a great number of carriers. 

 The Yembawees are all armed with dagger and spear, 

 although they seldom appear so in public, and they 

 usually carry a heavy bludgeon in their hand. The 

 situation is healthy, and the markets cheap ; but 

 as a residence it must be extremely disagreeable, 

 from the incredible quantity of flies that infest the 

 coast. The inhabitants never walk out without a 

 fan to drive off these troublesome vermin. 



TaYf is under the government of a subordinate offi- 

 cer, with little authority, appointed by the sheriff. 

 The town stands in the middle of a sandy circular 

 plain, encompassed by low mountains called Gebel 

 Ghazoan. It is in the form of an irregular square of 

 about two miles in circumference, surrounded by a 

 rampart and ditch, and defended by several towers. 

 The castle occupies a rocky elevated site ; but has 

 no claim to the title of a fortress, except that it is 

 larger than the other edifices, and has stronger 

 walls. The houses in general are small, but well 

 built, and supplied with two copious springs. TaYf 

 is celebrated over all Arabia for its beautiful gar- 



